The Group
They've dominated the charts throughout the
world, have gone
multi-platinum in 16 countries and sold
over 10 million records
worldwide. They've scored 4 Top Ten singles,
including the number
one sensation "Quit Playin' Games (With
My Heart)." They've also
racked up numerous awards, including the
1996 MTV Europe
Viewers Choice Award, beating out Oasis,
Spice Girls and
Jamiroquai.
They are the Backstreet Boys (BSB) and they
may well be the
biggest pop group you've never heard of.
. . until right now.
Backstreet Boys is the long awaited eponymous
American debut
from a group that has already made its mark
on the international
music scene. The brand new American release
contains all the hits
from BSB's self-titled European debut along
with new cuts that find
BSB collaborating with some of the biggest
names in music: PM
Dawn, (a startling remake of "Set Adrift
On Memory Bliss") and
Robert Mutt Lange ("If You Want It
To Be Good Girl (Get Yourself A
Bad Boy)). Armed with powerful harmonies,
groove friendly beats,
passionate ballads, a dynamic stage show
and charisma that will not
be denied, Backstreet Boys are ready to
show their native land what
the rest of the planet has already
figured out: that they are more than
a phenomenon, they are here to stay.
Backstreet Boys incredible saga began four
years ago in Orlando,
Florida. It was there that high school students
AJ McLean, Howie
Dorough and junior high student Nick Carter
began to run into each
other at local acting auditions. The three
young men became friends
and formed a singing group, inspired in
part by Boyz II Men and Color
Me Badd. The trio then decided to expand,
by two. They met Kevin
Richardson through a mutual friend. After
scouring Orlando for a fifth
member, Kevin thought of his cousin Brian
Littrell, who was in
Kentucky. A phone call was made,
Brian relocated and The
Backstreet Boys were ready to write the
first chapter of their story.
At first the group did some of their favorite
cover tunes, a practice
that continues even today. Laughs Brian,
"We still do Shai's "If I Ever
Fall In Love," but eventually they began
to find their own distinctive
sound. Stressing their strong harmonies
and a blend of pop and
R&B, the fivesome began to try to secure
a record deal.
The hard work began to pay off and within
six months of forming,
BSB had become one of Florida's hottest
live acts. They played
everything from a high school gymnasium,
Grad Night at Sea World,
to an opening slot for Brandy. With all
that stage experience and an
indie single "Tell Me That I'm Dreaming"
under their belts, BSB
started writing the next chapter. Their
manager Donna Wright was
friends with David McPherson of Jive Records.
After pleading with him
to hear the band, she called him during
one of BSB's dates, held up
her cell phone and let him hear the pandemonium
the group
generated.
In 1995, BSB began to lay down tracks and
released "We've Got It
Going On." The song took off in England
and throughout the
continent, where BSB's brand of R&B-Pop
was just gaining a
foothold. "Over there they had a bunch of
what's called "boy groups,'
so we had a ready made market," explains
Brian, "but since we were
Americans, we were a fresh new sound for
Europe. We had more of
an edge, and unlike a lot of those other
boy groups, we were more
than just a bunch of pretty guys. We could
sing." In a short period of
time, "I'll Never Break Your Heart" began
to climb the charts. Its
success laid the foundation for what was
to come.
In 1995, BSB won a Smash Hits Award in London
for Best New Tour
Act and performed the gold single "I'll
Never Break Your Heart" on
Top Of The Pops.
1996 kicked off with BSB being voted #1 International
Group by TV
viewers in Germany. Their next single, "I'll
Never Break Your Heart"
went gold in Germany and hit #1 in Austria.
By February, the up
tempo jam had entered into video and radio
rotation in Montreal.
BSB's sold out shows, with hordes of screaming
fans, soon became
legendary throughout Europe and Canada.
If BSB could accomplish
all that with only two singles, just imagine
the reaction when BSB's
self titled debut album was released in
April of 1996. That summer
BSB embarked on a sold out 57 date headlining
European tour. By
the time fall came BSB fever had swept Asia,
the Pacific Rim and
Australia. The year continued with BSB wrapping
up a second
European tour and earning the coveted 1996
MTV Europe Viewers
Choice Award. Then it was off to Canada,
where their CD has gone
six times platinum and hit the number one
spot on the charts. BSB's
32 shows sold out in under 20 minutes as
the intensity moved closer
to the US. "It was some kind of year," laughs
Kevin, and it only laid
the groundwork for the next part of the
BSB story. The homecoming.
Now back home in Orlando, BSB spent the early
part of 1997 in the
studio; crafting new vibrant songs, sharpening
up their vocals, taking
a more active role in the creative process
and eagerly looking forward
to bringing their infectious sound to a
home grown audience.
To read individual biographies
click on the names:
